Thanking God in Three Tenses

Psalm 25

Humans are incredible creations, able to switch our thinking between past, present, and future. Many times we take God for granted when we should be in a state of thanksgiving. This is a great time of year for taking stock of your blessings and thanking God in all three tenses.

Thank God for the Past: From the distant to the recent past, we all have at times committed sins of immorality or omission, but these moments of failure don’t matter to God. Because God doesn’t remember our weakest moments , we don’t have to live with guilt and shame of the past. God’s great mercy and love means He always remembers our covenants with Him, but He does not hang on to our old grievances.

Thank God for the Present: Think of the many blessings you enjoy in your life. In many parts of the world, people live in such extreme poverty that it is difficult for us as Americans to imagine it. This coming Thanksgiving, many of us will have all the food, clothing, and shelter we could need. We will also be surrounded by people in our lives who care about us. People struggle when they lose someone unexpectedly without an opportunity to express their gratitude. Don’t wait to express it! Make sure everyone knows how you feel and thank God for the people He has put in your life.

Thank God for the Future: Thanking God for the things that will come is the most difficult because we don’t know what is coming our way. To thank God for the future, come what may, is a step of faith. It means in your heart that you believe God holds the future in his hand. Even though there may be times of pain and difficulty in the future, you can know that God loves you and has it all under His control.

Be sure and take this Thanksgiving opportunity to reflect on your blessings from God and share your gratitude with others.